Pouch filling station

ABSTRACT

A table top appliance rapidly fills a pouch through some mechanical actuation or automation by inserting the pouch into the appliance and the machine fills the pouch. One embodiment of the food pouch filling station may be a mechanical version that includes a method to pump or push the contents of the container into the pouch. A second embodiment of the food pouch filling station may be an electric pump version that fills pouches and may have the option of controlling the amount of food dispensed. The food pouch filling station may also include a valve that connects to the pouch to control the flow to the pouch.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional patent Ser. No.17/681,275, filed Feb. 25, 2022, entitled Food Pouch Filling Station,which claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional patent Ser. No.16/868,288, filed May 6, 2020, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,299,300on Apr. 12, 2022, entitled Food Pouch Filling Station, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent No. 62/844,028, filed May 6, 2019,entitled Food Pouch Filling Station, which are incorporated herein byreference in its entirety and made a part hereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to filling stations, more particularly, toa pouch filling station or a food pouch filling station.

BACKGROUND

Since the advent of the reusable and disposable food pouch, consumersare now able to prepare and fill their own fresh recipes they make or bysimply buying a large jar of apple sauce and pouring the food into eachpouch. Food pouches are easy for on the go and are air tight and safefor refrigerator and freezer storage. Food pouches also act as a storagebag for puree and other liquid foods similar to resealable bags,resealable plastic ware, glass jars, and other container formats.Reusable pouches provide unique qualities such as low plastic weight,flexible, and the food can be squeezed out of various size and shapespouts. Pouches come in different sizes that typically range from 3ounces to 8 ounces. Pouches can be designed for even larger sizes andmay be used in other applications like laundry detergent, condiments,cooking sauces, hair shampoo. The uses may be endless and may carry intovarious markets globally.

Generally, the spouts used on reusable and disposable food pouches arestandardized and there are only a few variations. There is one commonspout diameter and two common spout track designs. Some spouts in Europeand other countries are larger in diameter and in some examples, thespout is a shorter than the standard design used on reusable pouches.Disposable food pouches at the grocery store also use the same standardspout shapes as noted above. These spouts were originally designed forretort packaging at the factory production packing level which is thereason for the channel tracks below the threads on the spouts.

Filling reusable or disposable food pouches has been traditionallycompleted by two methods. The first method is to fill through a zipperopening of the reusable pouches by pouring from a container or byplacing a funnel in the zipper opening to minimize any overfill andspills on the zipper. Usually this this first method results in youhaving to wash the pouch from overfilling after closing the zipper andthen cleaning out the food between the pouch material past the zipperend. There is about 10 mm of space from edge to zipper where food canlay and needs to be cleaned. This process is not efficient.

The second method of filling a pouch is through the spout of the foodpouch. If the pouch has no zipper, then the pouch needs to be filledthrough the spout. There is one popular method today of using a plungerand canister to push the food into the spout. Some example canisters mayuse large diameter canisters that hold roughly 24 ounces of food. Thesecond popular canister and plunger method fills smaller canisters forindividual pouch filling. For these smaller canisters, there are threeor four canister filling stations to plunger food into each pouch. Inanother example, there are reusable pouches with a large syringe to pushthe food through the food pouch spout.

Generally, it is ideal to fill through the spout because of speed andthe elimination of overfilling the pouch from the zipper and eliminatingthe pouch cleanup time. It is ideal to create a proper seal around thespout surface either on the inside or outside circumference. It is bestto seal on the outer diameter (OD) surface so that you do not reduce thediameter and food flow as in some of the prior art designs. For priorart designs, the pouch slides into a track and then squeezed for thefood so the pouch is installed first and with a face-to-face gap with nocontact because there is vertical flow down into the spout. The canisteris loaded into canister, filled with food, and screwed down into theplastic station. The multiple mini-canisters and plungers create addedcleaning time and more potential for spills and an efficient process.

It is difficult to control the vertical downward movement of theexisting plunger and canister designs. The plunger is not affixed at thetop like a french press plunger which has a lid and hole with a collarunderneath the lid that provides vertical and concentric alignment tothe canister for a smooth up and down motion. Without this feature, theplunger tips and will lose its seal about the canister and food can thenfloat on top of the plunger. The process requires the operator tocarefully push straight down. The seals on these plungers are also notwell designed and due to the draft angle associated with the canisterfrom the molding process, a well-designed lip seal and supportingplastic structure similar to a piston prevents tipping and ensuressmooth and consistent force required.

SUMMARY

The present invention generally provides a system that includes a tabletop appliance that can rapidly fill a pouch through some mechanicalactuation and ultimately be automated by inserting the pouch and themachine will fill the pouch.

According to one embodiment, a pouch filling station may comprise: abase that is sized and shaped to sit on a flat surface; a canisterincluding a vessel that connects to the base; a lid that fits on a topof the canister; a valve located on the side wall of the canister; andan air pump system included with the lid and located on the top of thecanister. The canister may have a bottom, side walls extending from thebottom, and a canister spout located adjacent to the bottom, thecanister holding contents to be dispensed into a pouch. The valve may beconfigured to attach to the canister spout and a pouch spout of thepouch, the valve controlling a flow of the contents of the canister tofill the pouch. The air pump system may include a pump housing, one ormore check valve seals located at the bottom of the pump housing, and apump to pressurize the pump housing and the canister through the one ormore check valve seals. The one or more check valve seals may allow airto flow from the pump housing to the canister and prevent air fromescaping from the canister when the pump pressurizes the pump housing.When the pump housing and the canister are pressurized with the pump,the pouch spout is connected to the valve, and the valve is opened, theair pressure from the canister pushes the contents of the canisterthrough the canister spout and the valve into the pouch.

Additionally, the bottom of the canister may be slanted towards thecanister spout and the bottom of the canister may include a trough tofeed the contents of the canister to the canister spout. The valve maybe one of the following: a ball valve, a pinch valve, a dial-clampvalve, or a cone valve seal. The lid may include a top plate and aflange extending downward from the top plate, wherein the flange issized and shaped to cooperate with the side walls of the canister tosecure the lid to the canister, wherein the top plate stabilizes a pumpshaft from the pump. The pump may include a pump shaft with a handlelocated at one end and a pump flange located at the opposite end of thepump shaft. The pump housing may include a spring so that the pump andhandle retract automatically after the pump is pressed downward. The lidmay include a seal on the pump housing. The air pump system may includea plunger disk seal located within an internal diameter of the canisterto ensure an even distribution of air pressure on the contents of thecanister. The plunger disk seal may include a rigid body disk and one ormore radius-lobed flexible seals extending around the circumference ofthe rigid body disk, wherein the one or more radius-lobed flexible sealsseal the internal diameter of the canister. The air pump system mayinclude an automatic pump with a pump motor that electronicallygenerates a pressure and a volume of air in the pump housing in aspecified amount of time, wherein when the valve is opened and a pouchis filled, the automatic pump automatically turns on and pressurizes thepump housing and the canister to maintain a preset pressure. The airpump system may include a pressure sensor that stops filling at acertain pressure and maintains a specific pressure within in thecanister. The air pump system may include an electric pump that fits onthe lid and mates with the canister to generate a pressure and a volumeof air in the pump housing in a specified amount of time. The electricpump may include controls that maintain a specified air pressure to filla certain amount of fluid ounces based on a pouch size.

According to another embodiment, a pouch filling station may comprise: abase that is sized and shaped to sit on a flat surface; a canisterincluding a vessel that connects to the base; a lid that fits on a topof the canister; valve located on the side wall of the canister; and anair pump system included with the lid and located on the top of thecanister. The canister may have a bottom, side walls extending from thebottom, and a canister spout located adjacent to the bottom, thecanister holding contents to be dispensed into a pouch. The bottom ofthe canister may be slanted towards the canister spout to feed thecontents of the canister to the canister spout. The bottom of thecanister may include a trough to feed the contents of the canister tothe canister spout. The lid may include a top plate and a flangeextending downward from the top plate, wherein the flange is sized andshaped to cooperate with the side walls of the canister to secure thelid to the canister. The valve may be configured to attach to thecanister spout and a pouch spout of the pouch, the valve controlling aflow of the contents of the canister to fill the pouch. The air pumpsystem may include a pump housing, one or more check valve seals locatedat the bottom of the pump housing, and a pump to pressurize the pumphousing and the canister through the one or more check valve seals. Theone or more check valve seals may allow air to flow from the pumphousing to the canister and prevent air from escaping from the canisterwhen the pump pressurizes the pump housing. The air pump system mayfurther include a plunger disk seal located within an internal diameterof the canister to ensure an even distribution of air pressure on thecontents of the canister. The pump may include a pump shaft with ahandle located at one end and a pump flange located at the opposite endof the pump shaft, the top plate stabilizes the pump shaft. The pumphousing may include a spring so that the pump and handle retractautomatically after the pump is pressed downward. When the pump housingand the canister are pressurized with the pump, the pouch spout isconnected to the valve, and the valve is opened, the air pressure fromthe canister pushes the contents of the canister through the canisterspout and the valve into the pouch.

In yet a further embodiment of the invention, a pouch filling stationmay comprise: a base that is sized and shaped to sit on a flat surface;a canister including a vessel that connects to the base; a lid that fitson a top of the canister; a valve located on the side wall of thecanister; and an air pump system included with the lid and located onthe top of the canister. The canister may have a bottom, side wallsextending from the bottom, and a canister spout located adjacent to thebottom. The canister may hold contents to be dispensed into a pouch. Thebottom of the canister may be slanted towards the canister spout to feedthe contents of the canister to the canister spout. The bottom of thecanister may include a trough to feed the contents of the canister tothe canister spout. The valve may be configured to attach to thecanister spout and a pouch spout of the pouch, the valve controlling aflow of the contents of the canister to fill the pouch. The air pumpsystem may include a pump housing, one or more check valve seals locatedat the bottom of the pump housing, and a pump to pressurize the pumphousing and the canister through the one or more check valve seals. Theone or more check valve seals may allow air to flow from the pumphousing to the canister and prevent air from escaping from the canisterwhen the pump pressurizes the pump housing. The air pump system mayfurther include a plunger disk seal located within an internal diameterof the canister to ensure an even distribution of air pressure on thecontents of the canister. The plunger disk seal may include a rigid bodydisk and one or more radius-lobed flexible seals extending around thecircumference of the rigid body disk, wherein the one or moreradius-lobed flexible seals seal the internal diameter of the canister.The air pump system may include an automatic pump with a pump motor thatelectronically generates a pressure and a volume of air in the pumphousing in a specified amount of time. When the valve is opened and apouch is filled, the automatic pump automatically turns on andpressurizes the pump housing and the canister to maintain a presetpressure. When the pump housing and the canister are pressurized withthe pump, the pouch spout is connected to the valve, and the valve isopened, the air pressure from the canister pushes the contents of thecanister through the canister spout and the valve into the pouch.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification taken in conjunction with the followingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food pouch filling station with aplunger in accordance with an embodiment of the system of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 2A-2D are various views of another food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 3 includes various views of another food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 4 includes various views of another food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A-5D are various views of another food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A-6D are various views of another food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A-8D include various views of another food pouch filling stationin accordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIGS. 9 and 10 include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 include various views of an example motor assembly for a foodpouch filling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 12-15 include various views of components of a food pouch fillingstation in accordance with an embodiment of the system of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 16A and 16B include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 17A-17C include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 18 includes a view of components of a food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIGS. 19-23 include various views of components of a food pouch fillingstation in accordance with an embodiment of the system of the presentinvention;

FIG. 24 includes a view of components of a food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIGS. 25A-25C include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 26 includes an exploded view of components of a food pouch fillingstation in accordance with an embodiment of the system of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 27A-27D include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 28A and 28B include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 29A and 29B include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 30A and 30B include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 31A and 31B include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 32 includes a perspective view of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 33 includes various views of components of a food pouch fillingstation in accordance with an embodiment of the system of the presentinvention;

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of another food pouch filling station inaccordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional view of another food pouch filling stationin accordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 36 is a cross-sectional view of another food pouch filling stationin accordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 37 includes a perspective view of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention; and

FIGS. 38A-38D include various views of components of a food pouchfilling station in accordance with an embodiment of the system of thepresent invention.

The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarilydrawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various examples of the invention,reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a parthereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various examplestructures, systems, and steps in which aspects of the invention may bepracticed. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements ofparts, structures, example devices, systems, and steps may be utilizedand structural and functional modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. Also, while the terms“top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “side,” and the like may be used inthis specification to describe various example features and elements ofthe invention, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience,e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures. Nothing inthis specification should be construed as requiring a specificthree-dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within thescope of this invention.

The goal of the invention is a table top appliance that can rapidly filla pouch through some mechanical actuation and ultimately be automated byinserting the pouch and the machine will fill the pouch.

One embodiment of the food pouch filling station may be a mechanicalversion that includes a method to pump or push the food into the pouch.A second embodiment of the food pouch filling station may be an electricpump version that fills pouches and may have the option of controllingthe amount of food dispensed.

French Press Plunger Concept

FIGS. 1, 2A-2D, 3, and 4 illustrate a food pouch filling station 100with a french press plunger 150. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates aperspective view of the food pouch filling station 100. FIGS. 1, 2A-2D,3, and 4 illustrate the food pouch filling station 100 with differentembodiments of the french press plunger 150 and various lip seals thatwould allow for the plunger to slide down the canister walls and adjustas the inner diameter (ID) on the bottom of the canister is smaller thanon top. Specifically, FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate an embodiment of the foodpouch filling station with a cylinder press, FIG. 3 illustrates anembodiment of the food pouch filling station with a curvaceous roundedsquare press, and FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the food pouchfilling station with an open-elliptical shaft press.

One embodiment of a food pouch filling station 100 includes a canister110, a suction base 120, a top plate 130, and a plunger 150 with a valve140 that prevents food from draining out of the canister spout 116. Thecanister 110 may sit on and attach to the suction base 120. The topplate 130 may fit onto the top of the canister 110. The plunger 150 mayextend through the middle of the lid 130. The plunger 150 may be sizedto snugly slide into the canister 110 with enough pressure on the sidewalls 114 of the canister 110 to prevent the contents of the canister110 from sliding by when the plunger 150 is pressed. The valve 140 maybe located on the wall of the canister 110 and be connected to thecanister spout 116. The valve 140 may be include an attachable softvalve interface portion 142 designed to match the food pouch 10specification and dimensions. The food pouch filling station illustratedin FIGS. 1-4 includes a french press plunger concept to hold a shaft 152of the plunger 150 vertical when a user plunges.

The canister 110 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 may include a bottom 112,side walls 114, and a spout 116. The side walls 114 may extend upwardfrom the bottom 112. The side walls 114 may extend with a small draftangle angled inward from the top to the bottom of the canister 110thereby creating a top-to-bottom internal diameter change. Thetop-to-bottom diameter change provides an upper internal diameter of thecanister 110 larger than a lower internal diameter of the canister 110.The top-to-bottom diameter change of the internal diameter may be around0.080 inch. Other values of top-to-bottom diameter change may beutilized without departing from this invention. The bottom 112 and sidewalls 114 may be various different shapes without departing from thisinvention. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2D, the bottom112 and side walls 114 may be in a cylindrical or circle shape. Asillustrated in FIG. 3 , the bottom 112 and side walls 114 may be in acurvaceous rounded shape. As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the bottom 112 andside walls 114 may be in an open-elliptical shape. The spout 116 may belocated near or adjacent to the bottom 112 of the canister 110 in orderto connect to and receive a food pouch 10. The valve 140 may be locatedwithin the canister wall 114 and adjacent to the spout 116. Variousvalve designs 140 will be described in more detail below. Additionally,the bottom 112 may include a trough 118 that leads to the spout 116 atthe bottom 112 of the canister 110. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, thecanister 110 may also include a straight cylinder vessel or side walls114 canister may also include a flared bulbous base section to slideonto and connect with the suction base 120. The canister 110 may alsoinclude a pour spout 117 and a canister handle 119 without departingfrom this invention. As further illustrated in FIG. 2C, the pour spout117 may be a small pour spout above mid-cylinder volume. The canisterhandle 119 may also include a TPE covered handle that snaps onto a clearplastic handle.

The suction base 120 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 may be sized and shapedto sit on a flat surface, such as a table-top or a counter top. Thesuction base 120 may be plastic or rubber or combination of plastic andrubber or rubber-like materials. For example, the suction base 120 maybe made of a silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or othermaterials without these without departing from this invention. Thesuction base 120 may slides into the bottom of the canister 110. Asillustrated in FIG. 2A, the suction base 120 may include a lower section122 and an upper section 124. The lower section 122 may provide suctionthrough a lip seal to a flat surface to hold the suction base 120 andthe food pouch filling station 100 in place while the user operates anduses the food pouch filling station 100. The upper section 124 mayprovide the interface for sliding into the canister 110. FIG. 2Billustrates various side views of alternative suction bases 120, withvarious lids 130 that may be utilized without departing from thisinvention. As illustrated in FIG. 2C, the suction base may be a fixedmolded TPE base with a hidden suction lip seal 126. Additionally, asfurther illustrated in FIG. 2C, the suction base 120 may include a smalltab 123 at the base for access de-suction capacity.

The lid 130 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 may include a top plate 132 anda flange 134 extending downward from the top plate 132. The top plate132 may be sized and shaped to slide with a flange 134 within aninternal portion of the side walls 114 of the canister 110. The topplate 132 may be used to stabilize the shaft 152 trajectory. The lid 130may have a collar underneath to extend the hole through the top plate132 that the shaft 154 is sliding against to reduce the amount of shaftangle due a larger diameter canister 110.

The plunger 150 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 may include a shaft 152 witha handle 154 on one end and a plunger flange 156 on the other end. Theplunger flange 156 may include a plurality of flexible ridges to snuglyslide into the canister 110 with enough pressure on the side walls 114of the canister 110 to prevent the contents of the canister 110 fromsliding by when the plunger 150 is pressed. The plunger flange 156 maybe fine-tuned to facilitate the press action of the contents of thecanister 110. FIG. 2A illustrates various alternative handles 154 andtop plates 132 that may be utilized without departing from thisinvention.

FIG. 2B illustrates various other plunger 150 designs without departingfrom this invention. Plunger 150A illustrates an alternative plungerwith a taller plunger flange 156A that helps create stability whileplunging downward against the side walls 114 of the canister 110. Asillustrated, the plunger flange 156A may also include additionalflexible rings to press against the side walls 114 of the canister 110.Plunger 150B illustrates a second alternative plunger with a lever 151Bthat rotates and pivots to plunge the plunger flange 156B up and downwithin the canister 110.

FIG. 2D illustrates various canister 110 alternative designs. Forexample, the canister 110A,B,C,D may include various embossed textureconcepts without departing from this invention. Additionally, thecanister 110E,F,G may include various color concepts and/or tinted clearplastic embodiments without departing from this invention. Lastly, thecanister 110F may include a bump-textured clear plastic embodimentwithout departing from this invention. Any of these various embodimentsfor the canister 110 may be utilized in coordination with one another.

The food pouch filling station 100 also includes a valve 140 with threeslits. The valve 140 may be plastic or rubber or combination of plasticand rubber or rubber-like materials. For example, the valve 140 may bemade of a silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other materialswithout these without departing from this invention. The valve 140 maysplit open when a food pouch 10 is inserted into the food pouch fillingstation 100. The valve 140 may require a certain force to engage thespout 116 into position thus forcing the valve 140 to split open at theslits. The french press design may be a food pouch filling station 100to fill food using the same canister design and valve seal design asdescribed further below.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate shape and embodiment for the frenchpress design food pouch filling station 100A. The food pouch fillingstation 100A as illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a curved rounded squareshape canister 110, suction base 120, and lid 130. The food pouchfilling station 100A as illustrated in FIG. 3 may include a curvilineartop plate 132 and curvilinear base 120. The top plate 132 may alsoinclude a flap 132A for dislodging the suction on the canister 110 fromthe lid 130. The top plate 132 may include a rounded corner square topprofile and shaft form. Additionally, the food pouch filling station100B may include an option for omitting the top plate 132 in exchangefor an open-top food pouch filling station 100B.

FIG. 4 illustrates another alternate shape and embodiment for the Frenchpress design food pouch filling station 100C. The food pouch fillingstation 100C as illustrated in FIG. 3 includes an open elliptical shaftconcept. For example, the food pouch filling station 100C may include atruncated ellipse shaft for ease of gripping and directing the contentsof the canister 110C toward the spout 116C. The food pouch fillingstation 100C may also include an angled bottom 112C of the canister 110Cto direct the contents of the canister 110C downward through the spout116C. The food pouch filling station 100C may also include a largeplastic or angled suction base 120C. Lastly, the food pouch fillingstation 100C may also include an option for the plunger 150C to ratchetback and forth for incremental siphoning of the contents of the canister110C through the spout 116C.

Air Pump Food Pump Filling Station

FIGS. 5A-5D, 6A-6D, 7, and 8A-8D illustrate different embodiments of afood pouch filling station 200 that utilizes an air pump system 260. Inanother embodiment, the food pump filling station 200 may not have ahand plunger and may include an air pump fill system 260. The air pumpfill concept may be similar to a spray bottle that you pump topressurize the tank and then can spray the liquid. By pressurizing thechamber, the fluid releases when the valve is opened. Therefore, thevalve and the canister lid must hold pressure above ambient. The more auser pumps, the more pressure is built up. In one exemplary embodiment,the food pouch filling station 200 may include a semi-automatic methodthat creates pumping a set number of times and then fills a set numberof pouches 10 without having to pump again as the chamber releases itsair pressure and goes back to ambient pressure. For example, thesemi-automatic method may create pumping four times and then fills threepouches 10 without having to pump again as the chamber releases its airpressure and goes back to ambient pressure. In another example, thesemi-automatic method may create pumping in a one-to-one ratio, such aspumping four times and then filling four pouches 10 without having topump again as the chamber releases its air pressure and goes back toambient pressure. Any number of pump-to-fill ratios may be utilized withthe semi-automatic method without departing from this invention. The airpump system 260 may include a canister 210 and piston design asillustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 . FIG. 11 illustrates an electricautomatic pump design of the food pouch filling station 200. FIGS. 12-24illustrate and detail embodiments of various valve designs that may beused with the food pouch filling station 200 or the food pouch fillingstation 100.

For the embodiments of FIGS. 5A-24 , the features are referred to usingsimilar reference numerals under the “2xx” series of reference numerals,rather than “1xx” as used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 . Accordingly,certain features of the food pouch filling station 200 that were alreadydescribed above with respect to the food pouch filling station 100 ofFIGS. 1-4 may be described in lesser detail, or may not be described atall.

The food pouch filling station 200 includes a canister 210, a base 220,a lid 230, an air pump system 260, and a valve assembly 240. Thecanister 210 may sit on and attach to the suction base 220. The lid 230and the air pump system 260 may fit onto the top of the canister 210.The air pump system 260 may be included with the lid 230. The valve 240may be located on the wall of the canister 210 and may connect to thepouch spout 12.

The canister 210 as illustrated in FIGS. 5A-10 may include a bottom 212,side walls 214, and a canister spout 216. The side walls 214 may extendupward from the bottom 212. The side walls 214 may extend with a smalldraft angle angled inward from the top to the bottom of the canister 210thereby creating a top-to-bottom internal diameter change. Thetop-to-bottom diameter change provides an upper internal diameter of thecanister 210 larger than a lower internal diameter of the canister 210.The top-to-bottom diameter change of the internal diameter may be around0.080 inch. Other values of top-to-bottom diameter change may beutilized without departing from this invention. The bottom 212 and sidewalls 214 may be various different shapes without departing from thisinvention. The canister spout 216 may be located near or adjacent to thebottom 212 of the canister 210 in order to connect to and receive a foodpouch 10. The bottom 212 may also include a trough 218 to help feed thecontents of the canister 210 to the canister spout 216. The valve 240may be located adjacent with the canister wall 214 and adjacent to thecanister spout 216. The canister 210 may also include a straightcylinder vessel or side walls 214 and may slide onto and connect withthe base 220. The canister 210 may also include a pour spout 217 and acanister handle 219 without departing from this invention. Further, thebase 220 may be sized and shaped to sit on a flat surface, such as atable-top or a counter top. The lid 230 may include a top plate 232 anda flange 234 extending downward from the top plate 232. The top plate232 may be sized and shaped to slide with the flange 234 within aninternal diameter or outer diameter of the side walls 214 of thecanister 210. The top plate 232 may be used to stabilize the pump shaft262 trajectory.

The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5A-10 includes a sealing system 270to connect the pouch spout 12 to the canister spout 216. In order toeliminate the extra force required to insert and hold the pouch spout 12in place, the sealing system 270 may pull the pouch spout 12 into placeand seal the pouch spout 12 against an inside of the valve shaft 242.One example includes a membrane 272 that seals with slits 274 that wouldopen when the pouch spout 12 was pressed inwards engaging the valve 240and opening the slits 274. Another example is a valve slit 274 thatopens when there is pressure, the slits 274 break the seal and fill thepouch. The membrane 272 and/or valve slit 274 may be plastic or rubberor combination of plastic and rubber or rubber-like materials. Forexample, the membrane 272 and/or valve slit 274 may be made of asilicone or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other materials withoutthese without departing from this invention.

Components—Air Pump System

The air pump system 260 of the food pouch filling station 200 mayinclude a one-way pump 261, a pump housing 263, and one or more buttonseals 268 located at the bottom of the pump housing 263. The pumphousing 263 may be attached to or connected to a bottom-side orunderside of the lid 230. For example, the pump housing 263 may bescrewed onto the bottom-side of the lid 230 without departing from thisinvention. Other methods of connecting the pump housing 263 to the lid230 may be utilized, such as snap-fit, molded, quarter-turn, etc. A sealmay be utilized between the pump housing 263 and lid 230 connection. Theone or more button seals 268 may act as one-way check valves from thepump housing 263 to the canister 210, preventing air from escaping fromthe canister 210 when a user pulls up on the pump 261. The pump 261 mayinclude a pump shaft 262 with a handle 264 located at one end and a pumpflange 266 located at the opposite end. When the canister 210 ispressurized, the pressure pushes against these valve seals 268preventing the high pressure from escaping from the canister 210. Thecanister lid 230 may also have a seal 263A on the pump housing 263 andthe canister 210 so that there is an air-tight chamber.

The air pump system 260 may also include a lip seal disk 259 that wouldsit on top of the contents of the canister 210. The lip seal disk 259may be plastic or rubber or combination of plastic and rubber orrubber-like materials. For example, the lip seal disk 259 may be made ofa silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other materials withoutthese without departing from this invention. The lip seal disk 259 mayensure there is an even distribution of air pressure on the contents ofthe canister 210 so that when there is a low volume of contents withinthe canister 210, the air does not bypass the contents of the canister210 with air filling into the pouch 10. The lip seal disk 259 will alsoensure that all the contents of the canister 210 off the side walls 214of the canister 210 and what is remaining on the bottom of the canister210 when the canister 210 is almost empty are dispensed into the pouch10.

The air pump system 260 may also include an automatic pump system, whichreplaces the air pump lid with a lid with a pump motor that iselectronically powered. For example, the pump motor may include apressure sensor which stops filling at a certain pressure. The automaticpump system may include this top lid with preconfigured or configurablesettings such that the pump would be told to maintain a specificpressure inside the canister chamber. When a pouch 10 is inserted andthe valve 240 is turned on, the pouch 10 would fill. The canister 210would then simultaneously lose X ounces of air and the pressure withinthe canister 210 would drop. With an automatic pump system, the pump 260would then automatically turn on and pressurize the canister 210 tomaintain the preset pressure.

As illustrated in FIG. 11 , another embodiment of the invention mayinclude an electric automatic pump design. The food pouch fillingstation 200 may include an electric pump 280 to mate with the canister210 to generate pressure and volume of air in a specified amount oftime. The electric pump 280 may fit in the canister lid 230 replacingthe hand air pump lid. Additionally, a display panel 282 may control theelectric pump 280 that would maintain a certain air pressure and/or bedesigned to pump a certain amount of fluid ounces based on a pouch sizeor customer preference of how many ounces the want to serve for theirchild. The electric automatic pump 280 may also have an intelligentpressure detection and stop function.

Components—Valve Designs

FIGS. 12-33 illustrate and detail embodiments of various valve designs240 that may be used with the food pouch filling station 200. Any of thevarious valve designs 240 may be used with any of the food pouch fillingstations 200 disclosed or described. Also, the various valve designs 240may be used with any pouch filling station without departing from thisinvention. The valve 240 may include a valve shaft 242. The valve 240may be a plastic valve assembly that includes inserting the pouch spout12 and with an interference around an outside surface of the pouch spout12 and an inside surface of the valve 240. The inside surface of thevalve shaft 242 may include a slight taper such that when the pouchspout 12 is pushed into the valve 240, the taper creates a radial seal.This may eliminate a silicone rubber seal in this location between pouchspout 12 and inside the valve 240. Another example for sealing the valve240 with the canister spout 216 may utilize O-rings with the seal on theinside surface of the canister spout 216.

FIGS. 12-15 illustrate a dial-clamp valve 240A for use with the foodpouch filling station 200. Specifically, FIG. 12 illustrates thedial-clamp valve system 240A in a closed position. FIG. 13 illustrates across-section of the dial-clamp valve system 240A in a closed position.FIG. 14 illustrates a cross-section of the dial-clamp valve system 240Ain an open position with the valve door port 251A open to the canister210. FIG. 15 illustrates the dial-claim valve system 240A in an openposition with a pouch 12 attached. The dial-clamp valve system 240A mayinclude radial seals.

As specifically illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the dial-clamp valve240A may include a valve shaft 242A. The valve shaft 242A may include aslightly tapered internal surface 243A that allows the pouch spout 12 toseal radially on an outside diameter of the pouch spout 12. The valveshaft 242A may also include a first O-ring 245A and a second O-ring246A. The first O-ring 245A may seal the contents of the canister 210from the dial-clamp valve 240A and the canister spout 216 when thedial-clamp valve 240A is closed. The second O-ring 246A may seal thecontents of canister 210 when the dial-clamp valve 240A is open. Thevalve shaft 242A may also include a port 251A. When the dial-clamp valve240A is in the open position, the port 251A allows the contents of thecanister 210 to travel through the port 251A into the valve shaft 242Aand into the pouch spout 12. The valve shaft 242A may also include arounded end 252A located within the canister 210 that is designed topush the contents of the canister 210 in the trough 218 out of the waywhen the dial-clamp valve 240A is opened.

Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 12-15 , the dial-clamp valve 240Amay include a dial 244A. The valve shaft 242 may be connected to theturning dial-clamp valve 240A by snapping the valve shaft 242 over agroove 252A on the inside of the dial 244A. The dial valve 240A may alsoinclude one or more pins 250A on the inside that assembles onto thespout connectors 247A. The one or more pins 250A may track on the spoutconnector 247A. The spout connector 247A may have a radial groove with apitch so that when a user turns the dial 244A, the radial groove movesthe dial 244A and dial-clamp valve 240A forward. The spout connector247A may also have two legs 248A protruding out which are used to bendthe two clamps 249A on the valve shaft 242A inwards. When the dial 244Ais turned, the clamps 249A get squeezed inwards and clamp down to securethe pouch spout 12 air-tight in position. The clamps 249A may pull andsecure the pouch spout 12. This dial or turning motion also pulls thepouch spout 12 inward to ensure a tight seal and reduce the need for theuser to use any force to push the pouch 10 inward toward the food pouchfilling station 200. For example, the user may put the pouch 10 in placeand turn the dial 244A to allow the dial 244A and clamps 249A to pulland secure the pouch 10 while simultaneously moving the dial-clamp valve240A to an open position exposing the port to the inner diameter of thecanister 210 and allowing for a rapid fill of the pouch 10.

In order to open the door, the door must in a linear motion along theaxis of the pouch spout 12. One example may be a cam-style clamp, suchthat the pouch spout 12 moves inwards by locking into the channels onthe pouch spout 12 and that same motion would also open the valve 240A.This action may require the use of minimal force to insert the pouchspout 12 in place and let the camming motion do the work in pushing thepouch spout 12 and valve 240A inwards to seal the pouch spout 12 to thevalve 240A and simultaneously open the door all in one process.

One example for sealing the valve 240A with the canister spout 216 mayutilize a plastic door that seals in the inside surface of an innerdiameter of the canister 210, such that a face seal is molded that wouldseat against the inside surface of the canister 210.

The dial-clamp valve 240A will need to be cleaned, such that there is aleast amount of parts to reduce the number of food trap points. Byhaving the seals on the valve shaft 242A, the dial-clamp valve 240A(dial 244A and valve shaft assembly 242A) may be pulled out. Thedial-clamp valve 240A components may be made out of plastic or at leasta majority of plastic. The dial 244A and the spout connector may be madeof another material, such as metal or a combination. The valve shaft242A may be made of plastic because the clamps 249A need to bendrepeatedly over thousands of cycles.

In another embodiment, a cone valve seal 240B may be utilized and asillustrated in FIGS. 16A-16B and 17A-17C. The cone valve seal 240B mayinclude a valve seal and a manual push spout to open valve. The conevalve seal 240B and valve seal may be plastic or rubber or combinationof plastic and rubber or rubber-like materials. For example, the conevalve seal 240B and valve seal may be made of a silicone or athermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other materials without these withoutdeparting from this invention. FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate the conevalve seal 240B with a valve seal with a manual push spout on the pouch10 to open the cone valve seal 240B. FIG. 17A illustrates a frontperspective view of the cone valve seal 240B. FIG. 17B illustrates arear perspective view of the cone valve seal 240B. FIG. 17C illustratesa cross-sectional view of the cone valve seal 240B.

FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary spout concept 240C that may be usedwith this invention. As illustrated in FIG. 18 , a barrel spout with ahalf-turn screw and lock design. The spout concept 240C includes a dropand secure pouch boot design with an air-tight boot seal. Additionally,the exemplary spout concept may include silicon teeth to secure thepouch 10 and a trough design to hold spills.

In another embodiment a dial clamp with a cone valve 240D opens byforcing the spout through the valve slits, as illustrated in FIGS. 19-23. The dial clamp with cone valve 240D may be plastic or rubber orcombination of plastic and rubber or rubber-like materials. For example,the dial clamp with cone valve 240D may be made of a silicone or athermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other materials without these withoutdeparting from this invention. FIG. 19 specifically illustrates a dialclamp with the valve 240D that opens by forcing the spout 12 through thevalve slits. FIG. 20 specifically illustrates a dial clamp with a sealcontaining slits that break under pressure when pressurizing thecanister 110, 210 or using a plunger 150. FIG. 21 specificallyillustrates a dial clamp with the face seal door sealing on the insideof the canister 110 surface. In another example, the dial-clamp valvesystem 240D may include a door-face seal concept as illustrated in FIGS.22 and 23 . Additionally, the seal may be in different locations inorder to seal the pouch spout 12 to the dial-clamp valve 240D.

FIG. 24 illustrates an exemplary lever valve 240E concept that may beused with this invention. The lever valve 240D may include a lever 290and a locking collar 292 that hold the pouch 10 to the canister 210. Thelever valve 240E may also include a membrane 272E that seals with slits274E. The membrane 272E and/or valve slits 274E may be plastic or rubberor combination of plastic and rubber or rubber-like materials. Forexample, the membrane 272E and/or valve slit 274E may be made of asilicone or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other materials withoutthese without departing from this invention.

In another embodiment, a pinch valve 240F may be utilized with and asillustrated in FIGS. 25A through 28B. The pinch valve 240F may beutilized with any of the food pouch filling stations, the canisters, orthe pressure systems in accordance with this invention. Specifically,FIG. 25A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pinch valve 240F inan open position. FIG. 25B illustrates a top view of the pinch valve240F in the open position. FIG. 25C illustrates a close-upcross-sectional view of the pinch valve 240F showing a pinch valve seal248E in a pinched closed position.

FIG. 26 illustrates the various components included with the pinch valve240F. The pinch valve 240F includes a valve rotating axis body 241F thatattaches to the canister and creates the valve shaft 242F. A push buttonbody 244F with a push button 245F may attach to the valve rotating axisbody 241F. A pinch valve seal 246F may be located within the valverotating axis body 241F. The pinch valve seal 246F may be made of aflexible material such as plastic or rubber or combination of plasticand rubber or rubber-like materials. For example, the pinch valve seal246F may be made of a silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) orother materials without these without departing from this invention. Thepinch valve seal 246F may pinch close the valve shaft 242F when thepinch valve 240F closes. A spout retention body 248F may be attached tothe valve rotating axis body 241F with a pivot pin 249F located offcenter for rotation about the valve rotating axis body 241F. The spoutretention body 248F may also include an arm lever 250F that may beutilized to open and close the valve, thereby rotating the spoutretention body 248F and pinching the pinch valve seal 246F. The pushbutton 245F may be depressed which may release the spout retention body248F to rotate open due to the load force from the pinch valve 240F andthe pinch valve seal 246E being released from the locked position.

FIGS. 27A and 27B illustrate the pinch valve 240F in the open position(FIG. 27A) and the closed position (FIG. 27B). FIGS. 27C and 27Dillustrate the pinch valve 240F and specifically a valve spring andlocking mechanism in the unlocked position (FIG. 27C) and the valvespring and locking mechanism in the locked position (FIG. 27D).

FIGS. 28A and 28B illustrate the pinch valve 240F and the pouch 10inserted into the pinch valve 240F. FIG. 28A specifically illustratesthe orientation as the pouch 10 is inserted into the pinch valve 240Fand the clearance for the pouch spout 12 to enter the valve retentionfeatures before being rotated 90 degrees and locked into position. FIG.28B specifically illustrates the pouch 10 orientation rotated 90 degreesso that the pouch spout 12 groove locks into the valve nozzle retentionfeature. One key feature of the pinch valve 240F design is the way thepouch 10 is held in position by using a groove of the food pouch spout12 and plastic hooks 247F on the pinch valve 240F. The pouch 10 isinserted so that the pouch spout 12 goes inside the pinch valve 240F andthen the pouch 10 is rotated so the pouch 10 locks into place. Thislocking provides a secure seal and prevents unexpected removal due tothe filling pressure.

In another embodiment, a ball valve 240G may be utilized with and asillustrated in FIGS. 29A through 33 . The ball valve 240G may beutilized with any of the food pouch filling stations, the canisters, orthe pressure systems in accordance with this invention. Specifically,FIG. 29A illustrates the ball valve 240G rotated in a locked positionand the pouch spout 12 locked into position on the ball valve 240G. FIG.29B illustrates the ball valve 240G in an open position with a clearpassage way for the contents of the canister 210 to enter the pouch 10with the pouch spout 12 locked into position on the ball valve 240G.

FIG. 30A illustrates a top view of the ball valve 240G in the lockedposition while FIG. 30B illustrates a top view of the ball valve 240G inthe open position. One key feature of the ball valve 240G design is theway the pouch 10 is held in position by using a groove of the food pouchspout 12 and plastic hooks 241G on the ball valve 240G. The pouch 10 isinserted so that the pouch spout 12 goes inside the ball valve 240G andthen the pouch 10 is rotated so the pouch 10 locks into place. Thislocking provides a secure seal and prevents unexpected removal due tothe filling pressure.

FIG. 31A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the ball valve 240G inthe open position and the pouch spout 12 attached. FIG. 31B illustratesa cross-sectional view of the ball valve 240G in the closed position. Asillustrated in FIGS. 31A and 31B, the ball valve 240G may include avalve shaft 242G with a ball valve housing 244F that screws onto orconnects to the canister 210 and canister spout 216. The ball valve 240Fmay also include a first internal O-ring 246G and a second internalO-ring 247G. The ball valve 240G may also include a seal 248G that sealsagainst the pouch spout 12 and the ball valve 240G. FIG. 32 illustratesa perspective view of the ball valve 240G on the canister spout 216.

FIG. 33 illustrates various views of another ball valve 240H inaccordance with aspects of this invention.

For the embodiments of FIGS. 34-37 , the features are referred to usingsimilar reference numerals under the “3xx” series of reference numerals,rather than “1xx” or “2xx” as used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 orFIGS. 5-11 respectively. Accordingly, certain features of the food pouchfilling station 300 that were already described above with respect tothe food pouch filling station 100 of FIGS. 1-4 and the food pouchfilling station 200 of FIGS. 5-11 may be described in lesser detail, ormay not be described at all.

The food pouch filling station 300 includes a canister 310, a base 320,a lid 330, and a valve assembly 340. The canister 310 may sit on andattach to the suction base 320. The valve 340 may be located on the wallof the canister 310 and may connect to the pouch spout 12. FIGS. 34 and35 illustrate a food pouch filling station 300 with an air pump system360. The lid 330 and the air pump system 360 may fit onto the top of thecanister 310. The air pump system 360 may be included with the lid 330.FIG. 36 illustrates a food pouch filling station 300 with a plunger 350.The plunger 350 may extend through the middle of the lid 330. Theplunger 350 may be sized to snugly slide into the canister 310 withenough pressure on the walls of the canister 310 to prevent the contentsof the canister 310 from sliding by when the plunger 350 is pressed. Theplunger 350 may include a shaft 352 with a handle 354 on one end and aplunger flange 356 on the other end. The plunger flange 356 may includea plurality of flexible ridges to snugly slide into the canister 310with enough pressure on the side walls of the canister 310 to preventthe contents of the canister 310 from sliding by when the plunger 350 ispressed.

The canister 310 as illustrated in FIGS. 34-36 may include a bottom 312,side walls 314, and a canister spout 316. The side walls 314 may extendupward from the bottom 312. The side walls 314 may extend with a smalldraft angle angled inward from the top to the bottom of the canister 310thereby creating a top-to-bottom internal diameter change. Thetop-to-bottom diameter change provides an upper internal diameter of thecanister 310 larger than a lower internal diameter of the canister 310.The top-to-bottom diameter change of the internal diameter may be around0.080 inch. Other values of top-to-bottom diameter change may beutilized without departing from this invention. The bottom 312 and sidewalls 314 may be various different shapes without departing from thisinvention. The canister spout 316 may be located near or adjacent to thebottom 312 of the canister 310 in order to connect to and receive a foodpouch 10. The bottom 312 may also include a trough 318 to help feed thecontents of the canister 310 to the canister spout 316. The bottom 312may be slanted towards the canister spout 316 to help feed the contentsof the canister 310 to the canister spout 316. The valve 340 may belocated adjacent with the canister wall 314 and adjacent to the canisterspout 316. Any of the valves 340 described and detailed may be utilizedwith the food pouch filling station 300 without departing from thisinvention. Any other valve 340 may be utilized with the food pouchfilling station 300 without departing from this invention.

The canister 310 may also include a straight cylinder vessel or sidewalls 314 and may slide onto and connect with the base 320. The canister310 may also include a pour spout and a canister handle 319 withoutdeparting from this invention. Further, the base 320 may be sized andshaped to sit on a flat surface, such as a table-top or a counter top.The lid 330 may include a top plate 332 and a flange 334 extendingdownward from the top plate 332. The top plate 332 may be sized andshaped to slide with the flange 334 within an internal diameter or outerdiameter of the side walls 314 of the canister 310. The top plate 332may be used to stabilize the pump shaft 352, 362 trajectory.

The air pump system 360 of the food pouch filling station 300 mayinclude a one-way pump 361, a pump housing 363, and one or more buttonseals 368 located at the bottom of the pump housing 363. The pumphousing 363 may be attached to or connected to a bottom-side orunderside of the lid 330. For example, the pump housing 363 may bescrewed onto the bottom-side of the lid 330 without departing from thisinvention. Other methods of connecting the pump housing 363 to the lid330 may be utilized, such as snap-fit, molded, quarter-turn, etc. A sealmay be utilized between the pump housing 363 and lid 330 connection. Theone or more button seals 368 may act as one-way check valves from thepump housing 363 to the canister 310, preventing air from escaping fromthe canister 310 when a user pulls up on the pump 361. The pump 361 mayinclude a pump shaft 362 with a handle 364 located at one end and a pumpflange 366 located at the opposite end. When the canister 310 ispressurized, the pressure pushes against these valve seals 368preventing the high pressure from escaping from the canister 310. Thecanister lid 330 may also have a seal on the pump housing 363 and thecanister 310 so that there is an air-tight chamber. Additionally, thepump housing 363 may include a spring 365 so that the pump 361 andhandle 364 retract automatically after pressed downward.

The air pump system 360 may also include a plunger disk seal 359 thatwould sit on top of the contents of the canister 310. FIGS. 37 and 38A-Dspecifically illustrate two exemplary plunger disk seals 359 that couldbe utilized with this invention. The plunger disk seal 359 may includetwo radius-lobed seals 359A, 359B made of a flexible material, such asrubber or plastic or combination of plastic and rubber or rubber-likematerials. For example, the plunger disk seal 359 and its components maybe made of a silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or combinationor other materials without these without departing from this invention.The plunger disk seal 359 may also include a rigid body disk 359C. Theseals 359A, 359B may need to flex and adjust to the diameter reductionin the canister 310 and not jam caused by tipping or high friction loadon the seals 359A, 359B. The seals 359A, 359B may be made of a rubber orplastic or combination of plastic and rubber or rubber-like materialsfor the top and bottom seal for the flexing properties. For example, theseals 359A, 359B may be made of a silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer(TPE) or combination or other materials without these without departingfrom this invention. The seals 359A, 359B may stabilize the pump shaft362 as it moves down the canister 310 by acting as a guiding componentthat stabilizes the pump shaft 362.

The plunger disk seal 359 may ensure there is an even distribution ofair pressure on the contents of the canister 310 so that when there is alow volume of contents within the canister 310, the air does not bypassthe contents of the canister 310 with air filling into the pouch 10. Theplunger disk seal 359 will also ensure that all the contents of thecanister 310 off the side walls 314 of the canister 310 and what isremaining on the bottom of the canister 310 when the canister 310 isalmost empty are dispensed into the pouch 10.

Both the air pump style filling station illustrated in FIGS. 34 and 35and the plunger style filling station illustrated in FIG. 36 may utilizea similar or same plunger disk seal 359. Additionally, the plungerflange 156 of the food pouch filling station 100 may utilize a similarsize and shape to the plunger disk seal 359 as illustrated in FIGS. 37and 38 .

The air pump system 360 may also include an automatic pump system, whichreplaces the air pump lid with a lid with a pump motor that iselectronically powered to generate pressure and volume of air in aspecified amount of time. For example, the pump motor may include apressure sensor which stops filling at a certain pressure. The automaticpump system may include this top lid with preconfigured or configurablesettings such that the pump would be told to maintain a specificpressure inside the canister chamber. When a pouch 10 is inserted andthe valve 340 is turned on, the pouch 10 would fill. The canister 310would then simultaneously lose X ounces of air and the pressure withinthe canister 310 would drop. With an automatic pump system, the pumpsystem 360 would then automatically turn on and pressurize the canister310 to maintain the preset pressure.

In another embodiment of the invention, the food pouch filling station300 may include an electric pump design. The food pouch filling station300 may include an electric pump to mate with the canister 310 togenerate pressure and volume of air in a specified amount of time. Theelectric pump may fit in the canister lid 330 replacing the hand airpump 360 or the plunger 350. Additionally, the electric pump may includecontrols that would maintain a certain air pressure and/or be designedto pump a certain amount of fluid ounces based on a pouch size orcustomer preference of how many ounces the want to serve for theirchild. The electric automatic pump may also have an intelligent pressuredetection and stop function.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement of thecomponents set forth herein. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways.Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope ofthe present invention. It should be understood that the inventiondisclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations oftwo or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from thetext and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitutevarious alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodimentsdescribed herein explain the best modes known for practicing theinvention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize theinvention.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritof the invention, the scope of which is defined by this description.

We claim:
 1. A container filling station comprising: a canisterincluding a vessel, the canister having a bottom and one or more sidewalls extending from the bottom, and a canister opening located alongthe canister, the canister configured to hold contents to be dispensedinto a container; a lid that fits on a top of the canister; a valvelocated on the canister, wherein the valve is configured to connect tothe canister opening and a container opening of the container, the valvecontrolling a flow of the contents of the canister to fill thecontainer; and a pump system connected to the canister, the pump systemincluding a pump to pressurize the canister, wherein when the canisteris pressurized with the pump, the container opening is connected to thevalve, and the valve is opened, the pressure from the canister pushesthe contents of the canister through the canister opening and the valveinto the container.
 2. The container filling station of claim 1, whereinthe pump system further includes a display control panel for userinterface that controls the pump to maintain the pressure.
 3. Thecontainer filling station of claim 2, wherein the display control panelcontrols the pump to pump a certain amount of fluid ounces based on acontainer size or a customer preference.
 4. The container fillingstation of claim 1, wherein the pump includes an intelligent pressuredetection and stop function.
 5. The container filling station of claim1, wherein the bottom of the canister includes a trough to feed thecontents of the canister to the canister opening.
 6. The containerfilling station of claim 1, wherein the container includes one of thefollowing: a pouch, a storage bag, a resealable bag, a resealableplasticware, or a glass jar.
 7. The container filling station of claim1, wherein the valve is one of the following: a ball valve, a pinchvalve, a dial-clamp valve, or a cone valve seal.
 8. The containerfilling station of claim 1, wherein the pump system includes a plungerdisk seal located within an internal wall of the one or more side wallsof the canister to ensure an even distribution of the pressure on thecontents of the canister.
 9. The container filling station of claim 8,wherein the plunger disk seal includes a rigid body disk and one or moreradius-lobed flexible seals extending around a circumference of therigid body disk, wherein the one or more radius-lobed flexible sealsseal the internal wall of the one or more side walls of the canister.10. The container filling station of claim 1, wherein the pump systemincludes a pressure sensor that stops filling at a certain pressure andmaintains a specific pressure within the canister.
 11. A containerfilling station comprising: a canister including a vessel, the canisterhaving a bottom, one or more side walls extending from the bottom, and acanister opening located adjacent to the bottom, the canister configuredto hold contents to be dispensed into a container, wherein the containeris one of the following: a pouch, a storage bag, a resealable bag, aresealable plasticware, or a glass jar; a lid that fits on a top of thecanister; a valve located on the canister, wherein the valve isconfigured to connect to the canister opening and a container opening ofthe container, the valve controlling a flow of the contents of thecanister to fill the container, wherein the valve is one of thefollowing: a ball valve, a pinch valve, a dial-clamp valve, or a conevalve seal; and an air pump system that includes an electric pump thatfits within the lid and mates with the canister to generate a pressureand a volume of air within the canister, wherein the air pump systemfurther includes a display control panel for user interface thatcontrols the electric pump to maintain the pressure, the air pump systemfurther including a plunger disk seal located within an internal wall ofthe one or more side walls of the canister to ensure an evendistribution of air pressure on the contents of the canister, whereinwhen the canister is pressurized with the pump, the container opening isconnected to the valve, and the valve is opened, the air pressure fromthe canister pushes the contents of the canister through the canisteropening and the valve into the container.
 12. The container fillingstation of claim 11, wherein the display control panel controls theelectric pump to pump a certain amount of fluid ounces based on acontainer size or a customer preference.
 13. The container fillingstation of claim 11, wherein the electric pump includes an intelligentpressure detection and stop function.
 14. The container filling stationof claim 11, wherein the plunger disk seal includes a rigid body diskand one or more radius-lobed flexible seals extending around acircumference of the rigid body disk, wherein the one or moreradius-lobed flexible seals seal the internal wall of the one or moreside walls of the canister.
 15. The container filling station of claim11, wherein the bottom of the canister includes a trough to feed thecontents of the canister to the canister opening.
 16. A containerfilling station comprising: a canister including a vessel, the canisterhaving a bottom, one or more side walls extending from the bottom, and acanister opening located adjacent to the bottom, the canister configuredto hold contents to be dispensed into a container, wherein the containeris one of the following: a pouch, a storage bag, a resealable bag, aresealable plasticware, or a glass jar; a lid that fits on a top of thecanister; a valve located on the canister, wherein the valve isconfigured to connect to the canister opening and a container opening ofthe container, the valve controlling a flow of the contents of thecanister to fill the container; and an air pump system included with thelid and located on the top of the canister, wherein the air pump systemincludes an automatic pump with a pump motor that electronicallygenerates a pressure and a volume of air in a specified amount of time,wherein when the valve is opened and the container is filled, theautomatic pump automatically turns on and pressurizes the canister tomaintain a preset pressure, wherein when the canister is pressurizedwith the pump, the container opening is connected to the valve, and thevalve is opened, the air pressure from the canister pushes the contentsof the canister through the canister opening and the valve into thecontainer.
 17. The container filling station of claim 16, wherein thevalve is one of the following: a ball valve, a pinch valve, a dial-clampvalve, or a cone valve seal.
 18. The container filling station of claim16, wherein the air pump system includes a pressure sensor that stopsfilling at a certain pressure and maintains a specific pressure withinin the canister.
 19. The container filling station of claim 16, whereinthe air pump system includes a plunger disk seal located within aninternal wall of the one or more side walls of the canister to ensure aneven distribution of the pressure on the contents of the canister,wherein the plunger disk seal includes a rigid body disk and one or moreradius-lobed flexible seals extending around a circumference of therigid body disk, wherein the one or more radius-lobed flexible sealsseal the internal wall of the one or more side walls of the canister.20. The container filling station of claim 16, wherein the air pumpsystem further includes a display control panel for user interface thatcontrols the pump to maintain the pressure, wherein the display controlpanel controls the pump to pump a certain amount of fluid ounces basedon a container size or a customer preference.